1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to water redistribution and power generating systems and in particular to a system of interconnected waterways for diverting water by gravity flow from overflowing lakes and rivers and from wastewater treatment plants through channels and underground tunnels to areas lacking in water while generating electricity with turbines positioned in the tunnels and channels deriving electric power from the moving water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some areas have an overabundance of water due to rainfall, melting snow, runoffs, high water tables, and various other reasons. Often flooding occurs at recurring intervals when the lake, river, or other water system is not large enough to handle overflow quantities of water. Water treatment plants produce an abundance of water which is normally dumped into rivers, lakes, and oceans where there is already an abundance of water. For example, the Los Angeles/Orange County sewage treatment plants discharge into the ocean daily 800,000,000 to 1,5000,000,000 gallons of partially treated water endangering Santa Monica Bay. The dumping of sewage water into the ocean creates the danger of polluting the ocean water endangering swimmers, surfers, and fish, and can at high tide contribute to flooding of ocean front homes.
Prior art flood control methods are often inadequate, especially sandbagging, when there are not enough sandbags to prevent flooding and when the rushing water breaks through the sandbag dikes. People who live in the flood prone areas must purchase separate costly ($400 or more per year) flood insurance. According to the national flood insurance program, damage from flooding (or earthquakes) is not covered by regular home owners policies. Some prior art methods provide overflow channels and ponds. But these prior art flood control means do not go far enough.
Another problem is in water distribution. While some areas are flooded out, others are dry and uninhabitable or very expensive due to the high cost of water. The cost of water piped into households and businesses can be excessive especially in dry areas ($800 per year or more in Southern California). Huge land areas, such as Death Valley and the Salton Sea in California, go to waste due to lack of water and tremendous pollution problems occur when old river and lakebeds dry up, as in Owens Lake in California, which has the worse air pollution in the United States with dry desert chemical-laden dust storms. Dry areas where there is some plant growth suffer extensive dammage on a fairly regular basis from fires, such as in Southern California.
A system is needed to redistribute water from flood areas and wastewater treatment plants to drought areas to create a balance in water supply and make previously dry lands habitable and available for agriculture and recreation, as well as creating a whole new network of electric power generating stations using water power.